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While Dr. Guthrie speaks with Sam about the paintings of Laura; Victoria learns from Burke that Laura saw Elizabeth the night she fell ill. Synopsis : My name is Victoria Winters. A new hope has come to Collinwood, a man skilled in the mysteries that sometimes intrude on this world. He knows these forces are sometimes dark and often elusive. Their disguises are many and their skills often exceed those of mortal men. Dr. Guthrie asks Victoria if David ever was told about the painting being finished since 150. Guthrie points out that the force that's making Elizabeth catatonic also wants her memory gone. Victoria posits that a stranger might have met Elizabeth and caused the whole thing. Dr. Guthrie wonders why it has to be a stranger, and Victoria says that nobody at Collinwood did it, and Laura said she hadn't seen Liz all day. Act I Guthrie refuses to be befuddled by what he doesn't know; he wants to get to the bottom of the painting. Guthrie asks about Sam and learns that Sam painted several portraits, although he felt compelled to do them against his will. Guthrie asks about Sam's feelings for/against Laura. Victoria admits they weren't very friendly but that Sam isn't a vicious man. Guthrie wants to see Sam, but Victoria's reluctant because of Sam's recent accident. She also wants to keep him from being embarrassed because Sam drinks when his work's not going well. Guthrie insists they try because he believes Sam has something very important to tell him. At the Evans Cottage, Sam complains because Maggie's been keeping the booze from him. He can't go for a walk because it would require him to envision unpaintable pictures or go past the Blue Whale. Sam's hands have been burned for over a week. Sam wants to paint--even if it means he'll paint--nope, he'll never paint again. Maggie scolds Sam for believing his hands were burnt by Laura. Act II Victoria and Maggie talk at the Diner with Guthrie, and she encourages them to visit her pop, who's going stir-crazy. Burke comes in and wants to talk to Victoria alone. Guthrie meets Devlin; Guthrie offers to go to Sam's alone. Victoria is reluctant, but agrees to meet with Burke. Maggie tries to prep Guthrie for any unexplainable outbursts of her father's. Burke asks who Guthrie is--Maggie says, 'a very rare human being... one who's interested in my father's paintings.' At home, Sam doesn't want to be bothered. Guthrie comes in anyway. Sam claims he hasn't been called Samuel since he was seven. Guthrie purports to have an interest in paintings. Sam insists he did not hurt his hands, but stops short of saying what happened. He claims not to be himself today. Guthrie claims to admire Sam, or his paintings rather, and wants to browse. Guthrie appears to be looking for something specific and begins pawing through the reject pile, which includes one of the burnt-up paintings. Guthrie asks if that was a painting of Laura Collins, and wants to know if Sam really painted a lot of Laura's pictures. Sam throws him out of the house after claiming not to have painted any pictures of Laura. Sam is shocked when Guthrie admits he believes another force painted the paintings of Laura. Act III Sam and Guthrie drop the charade and Guthrie tells him he's investigating the goings-on at Collinwood. Sam never knew Laura that well; he's not sure if the woman on the canvas is really Laura, because the woman on the canvas is evil incarnate. Burke thinks Laura is wonderful and Victoria is afraid they'll repeat their conversation from 148. Victoria and Burke accuse each other of being irrational concerning Laura. Burke accuses Victoria of being a puppet for Elizabeth. They again begin to argue. Burke sings Laura's praises. Sam describes Laura as being inhuman and separated from everything else, destructive like fire. Act IV Burke offers Victoria a ride back to Collinwood; he wants Elizabeth to get better so he can beat her fairly. Victoria learns that Burke saw Elizabeth the night she got sick, at Laura's, with Laura, but was kicked out before the fight started (155). Guthrie shows up at the Inn and offers Victoria a ride; Victoria and Burke talk about who will take her to Collinwood, and Burke acquiesces. Victoria and Burke are still friends. Guthrie asks if Victoria's upset, she tells him that Burke saw Laura and Elizabeth together the night that Elizabeth became ill. Laura was lying! Memorable quotes : Maggie: Well, my father's been a little tense lately and sometimes he gets a little too excited. If he does, you will excuse him, won't you? : Dr. Guthrie: In an artist, anything is permissible. : Maggie: (laughs) Don't tell him that. He'll believe it. ---- : Dr. Guthrie: Are you Samuel Evans? : Sam: No, no. I'm Minnie Mouse. ---- : Sam: Well, I have to warn you, I'm, uh, I'm very expensive. : Dr. Guthrie: Well, uh, do you mind if I browse? : Sam: Go right ahead. But no more than six to a customer. ---- : Sam: The curse of Collinwood. It's everywhere. : Dr. Guthrie: That's right. I'm trying to get rid of it, and I would like your help. : Sam: How? : Dr. Guthrie: Well, if you could tell me as much as you can remember about your experiences of painting Mrs. Collins. : Sam: Oh. Well, do I, do I, I have to talk about it? It's, it was such a nightmare. : Dr. Guthrie: Well, suppose you start with your feelings about Mrs. Collins. : Sam: Mrs. Collins? : Dr. Guthrie: Look, this means a great deal to a great many people. Including you, I would think. : Sam: Well, I never knew Laura Collins well. I mean, I never had any feelings one way or the other about her. But, uh, the Laura Collins that was in those paintings, whether it's the real Laura Collins or, uh, not, I can't say. But that woman was the Laura Collins that I was forced to put on canvas is, is... evil incarnate. ---- : Sam: When I painted Laura Collins, I had a vision of a woman who's placed herself out of reach. Away from anything human. Human warmth, human understanding, she seemed utterly incapable of it. Malice, that's what she saw. Not cold, calculating; but raging and all-consuming. Consuming the way fire consumes. Destructive the way fire destroys. She even seemed beyond caring that it might destroy her too. That's how I saw Laura Collins. Dramatis personae * ← Mitchell Ryan as Burke Devlin → * ← David Ford as Sam Evans → * ← John Lasell as Peter Guthrie → * ← Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans → * ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters → Background information and notes Production * This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 161. Story * TIMELINE: Day 38 begins, and will end in episode 165. It's been over a week since Sam burnt his hands. (This occurred in episode 146, at least 11 on-screen days ago, which suggests that each day since then occur close together.) Bloopers and continuity errors * Dr. Peter Guthrie mistakenly calls Collinwood, "Collingwood," in his first conversation with Sam Evans. This is the third time he has done this. * Vicki (and later Dr. Guthrie) say that Sam had painted "several" portraits of Laura Collins when in fact he had painted only two. * When Dr. Guthrie finds the burned painting of Laura, he says that what remains of the painting is in Sam's style. But when he was painting them, Sam (and others) said they were in fact not in his usual style, especially the second one that burned that Guthrie is looking at. End credits announcement * Lauren Bacall and John Forsythe make their musical debuts together in a lighthearted and light-footed review of American history as seen in the dance styles of the day. See The Light Fantastic on ABC Stage 67 tonight in color on ABC. * Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis production. External Links Dark Shadows - Episode 164 on the IMDb0164